Eric Ripert has been praised for his thoughtful, passionate advocacy of contemporary French cooking through his TV shows, books and renowned New York seafood restaurant Le Bernardin.

He is not, however, known for his acid-tongued takedowns of celebrity chef-dom, his punk rock past or a certain je ne sais quoi that makes his fans want to guzzle endless shots of vodka with him. Leave that to Anthony Bourdain, Ripert’s close friend and the more devious half of the “Good vs. Evil” stage tour.

The occasional road series, which visits CU-Boulder’s Macky Auditorium on Sunday, April 14, unites Ripert and Bourdain for two hours of lively, humorous stage discussion and audience Q&A.

Thanks for your time today, Eric. I know Anthony’s done his own tour for a few years, but how long have you been doing “Good vs. Evil”?

I’ve been doing it now for more than two years. I do about 10 to 12 cities a year with Anthony but not more because of the day job.

Ah yes, “the day job.” How often do you get out on the road in general?

Sometimes, yes, I give some speeches a couple of times a year and mostly to an audience that is interested in my industry, but I have been giving also a speech about marketing and public relations to people who were in the industry as well. So, yes, I will say I have a bit of experience speaking in public. Now, finally, I am comfortable.

Is it refreshing to do something like this after spending so much of your time a Le Berdardin, or is it more like work? Do you meet a lot of fans at these shows?

I think the people who come mostly come for Tony. But it’s very refreshing, yes. The audience that I have seen in different cities when I have been traveling with Tony are very diversified in age and also we see people from the industry, but we see a lot of people who have seen Tony or my show (“Avec Eric”). What they have in common is that they have a certain passion for food and that is the common thing that I have seen all over the country.

I know you’ve been in the U.S. since 1989, but has this tour taken you to some parts you never thought you’d see otherwise?

I have been in some college towns in the Midwest that I didn’t even know existed, some small towns, but it was a very nice, welcoming, warm and young audience. It’s always nice to see the diversity in the room.

Given the fact that you and Anthony are both celebrities and there’s an audience Q&A in the show, have you ever had any crazed fans rush the stage for autographs?

(chuckles) Not really. I mean, it’s always interesting with the Q&A, but nothing shocking to me. I think that the people who come out are very respectful of the process of question-answer, and we say nothing about our private lives because it’s obviously private. So it’s geared to the industry, or they ask for advice or they’re asking Anthony about how he felt in some of the countries that he visited in some of the (“No Reservations”) episodes. But nothing scandalous.